Match-making machine.



AHA, GSELL. MATCH MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATKON FlLED MAR. 15. 1916 Patented July 17, 1917.

HENRY ALFRED GSELL, 0F PARIS, FRANCE.

MATCH-MAKING MACHINE.

resaore.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1'7, 1917.

Application filed March 15, 1916. Serial No. 84,444.

Z '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ALFRED GsnLL, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Paris, France, have invented new and useful Improvements in Match- Making Machines; and I do hereby declare the following'to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention has reference to improvements in match making machines, and relates more specifically to means in connection with such machines for confining a fire, due to ignition at the match ejecting operation, to the point of origin at the ejector mouth and preventing it thereby from flashing back into the machine proper.

That type of matches, which can readily be ignited by being scratched on any rough,

not necessarily prepared, surface, is apt to become ignited upon being ejected from the machine, when their loosely superimposed state tends to induce friction. The ignition then is quickly imparted to the matches still in the machine, since the tips are close together, all facing in the same direction.

The present invention has for its object to obviate this danger by providing means near the match ejector and ahead of it for relatively turning the individual splint plates,

whereby an interruption in the line of matches is created, which interruption serves as fire break and prevents the flame, that may have started in the matches being ejected, from flashing back into the machine.

In order to make my invention more readily understood, I will now describe it in detail in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 represents a vertical section through the essential parts, and

Fig. 2 shows on a reduced scale the ejector end of the match-making machine, with the new device for turning the splint plates in position.

The ejector end of the match-making machine, which latter is not specially shown and needs no description here, is designated by A. In the machine frame 1 are supported the rails 2 which guide the perforated plates 4 carrying the splints 3. The drive shaft for actuating the parts to be described is designated by 5. 6 denotes a toothed wheel. adapted to cooperate with such of the splint plates 4 as are in the vertical chute formed above the ejector mechanism by the guide rails 2, which toothed wheel serves to periodieally interrupt the downward progress of the splint plates.

Between the toothed wheel 6 and the ejector A there is interposed a rotary member, essentially formed by the shaft 7 and shields 8 secured to the latter. These shields are provided with radially extending guide races 9. In the constructional embodiment of the invention, shown by way of example, six such guide races 9 are provided, and partition walls 10 are provided between these races, which are secured at their inner ends tothe shaft 7 and extend over the entire space between the respective shields. The described parts are inclosed in a casing 11, which at the top and bottom, where the guide rails 2 abut, is open and supports curved walls 12, extending substantially par allel with the guide rails 2. The toothed wheel 6 is operatively connected to the rotary drum by the gears 13, and the operative ratio of these several gears is such that the wheel 6 always releases the lowermost splint plate in the chute above it, when one of the races 9 is exactly opposite the respective lower end of the upper chute, and the diametrically opposecl race is directly above the upper mouth of the lower chute. To the rotary shaft 7 is fixed a ratchet wheel 14, whose circularv pitch, that is to say its number of teeth, corresponds to the number of races provided in the drum. Loosely on the shaft 7 rides the link 15, to the free end of which is pivotally secured a pawl 16, and which is operatively connected by the rod 17 to the cam 18. The latter is fixed on a shaft 19 which is driven by bevel gear 20 from the main drive shaft 5.

In the upper chute, formed by the guide rails 2, the splint plates 4 are so traveled that the tips of the splints 3 face toward the shaft of the toothed wheel 6. The main shaft 5 by reason of the ratchet device 14:, 15, 16 advances the drum stepwise, always for one-sixth of its circumference, when for each such operation the lowermost splint plate will drop from the upper feed chute into the facing race 9 in the drum. Upon the latter being stepped ahead for half its circumference, this splint plate will now face Goples of this patent may be obtained for the lower leading-away chute, drop into it by its own weight, and is then carried on to the ejector A.

By this half-turn, which the splint plates a undergo intermediate the upper and the lower chute, the matches now in the lower chute face in the direction opposite to that they assumed in the upper chute, and the tips of the matches thus no longer form throughout the machine an uninterrupted line, but there is formed near the ejector end of the-machine a safety break in this line;

, with the result that, should at the ejector ignition take place, this ignition will extend only up to the rotary drum and not be communicated all through the entire machine.

The walls l0'and'12, and the casing 11 prevent a spread of the ignition due to sparking.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

v1. In a match machine, the combination of an ejector mechanism, plates for carrying the matches, a guide chute arranged to feed the plates toward the ejector mechanism by gravity, and a rotatable plate carrier interposed between the chute and ejector mechanis'm and adapted to receive the plates from the chute in one position and subsequently discharge them automatically by gravity in a diametrically opposite position for the purpose specified.

2. In a match machine, the combination of an ejector mechanism, plates for carrying the matches, a guide chute arranged to feed the plates by gravity toward the ejector mechanism, a rotatable plate carrier interposed between the chute and ejector mechanism,adapte d to receive the plates from the chute, means for periodically dropping the I plates fro'mthe chute into the carrier in one position, and means to permit the plates to drop from the carrier when they attain a diametrically opposite position.

3. In a match machine, the combination of an ejector mechanism, plates for carrying the matches, a guide chute arranged to feed the plates by gravity toward the ejector mechanism, means for retarding the movement of the plates in the chute, a rotatable plate carrier adapted to receive the plates from the chute, means for imparting a step by step movement to the carrier, and means operated by the movement of the latter to actuate the retarding means to release a plate from the chute.

4. In a match machine, the combination with an ejector mechanism, a guide chute and match carrying plates movable in the chute by gravity, of a plate reversing mechanism comprising a cylinder communicating with the ejector mechanism and chute at diametrically opposite points, a rotatable shaft mounted axially of the cylinder, shields mounted on the shaft having radial guides formed therein adapted to receive the match plates, radial partitions mounted on the shaft, means to impart a step by step movement to the latter, and aplate retarding member movable by and in unison with the shaft.

5. In a match machine, the combination with an ejector mechanism, of a fire arresting device ahead of the ejector mechanism, comprising a casing, a rotatable plate carrying element in the latter having separate non-communicating compartments for receiving and inclosing the plates individually.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY ALFRED GSELL.

Vitnesses CHAS. I. PRESSLY, Oscar: LIEBENHAAS.

five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

